Cobaia

Here is what could have been an interesting movie for the Frankenstein/Re-animator fan.....Mad scientist living in the seclusion of a snowy mountain cabin seduces young, gifted, and rebellious medical student into his remote log cabin lair to work with him as apprentice to his experimentation on an unknowing test subject number "two". That is about the gist of it and number two is what this stinker of a movie is laced with from that point onward.... From the start to the end (if it can be called an end), it is too long, too slow, and filled with too much ridiculousness to maintain interest. Unlike Frankenstein's countless remakes each of (which could win an academy award compared with this movie), Subject 2 has no purpose.... oh, other than what the Professor states - "We have much more work to do"....???? What work? Vic's random note taking as he speaks into an miniature recorder? Unlike Re-animator, Subject 2 has no entertainment.....well, there is some minor laughter listening to the Professor scold his apprentice. The sad thing is that it wasn't meant to be a comedic scene. The shot of the subject wandering aimlessly through the mountains in hopelessness defines this movie...and is ultimately passed off to the viewer after watching - hopeless to get time or money back. Where, what, who, huh? At least it is over....

Don't say I didn't warn you.

This was a great movie. Modern Frankenstein story with a twist. The story centers around Dr. Vic and his new assistant (an unhappy medical student named Adam). Separated from the world, hours from any town, Dr. Vic's experiments take a twisted turn. It was filmed entirely around Aspen, CO. The actors literally had to snowmobile hours on end to get to the film site. I really loved this movie. The horror aspect was less apparent, but I didn't mind at all. It speaks a great deal towards the nature of man, and towards our arrogance. The story was great and the acting was awesome!! The special effects were believable and not at all cheesy. Dean Stapleton is incredible. I am curious as to why he has not had other roles. Christian Oliver plays an amazing Adam. The emotion he brings to the part makes the movie. I recommend this to everyone!!!!!

I saw a screening of this indie film at the San Francisco Independent Film Festival and enjoyed it a great deal. Nicely done, especially on the low budget they had for this. I'm not generally a fan of "horror" (although this may be more suspense/thriller than horror), but found this film keeping me interested with both the plot and the editing that kept things moving. I hope "Subject Two" can find distribution so this filmmaker can bring us more. The choice of Aspen is beautiful to look at and well captured. The isolation the winter scenes promoted helped keep the story taught, and the visuals lovely. The acting is natural and well captured, and even the director has a fascinating part in this film.

One should not view Subject Two expecting a work of epic proportions and impact, as the film wishes to be at its core. Because it would only disappoint and maybe it just isn't worth any disappointments.

The story, well knit together, involves a failing medicine student and a mysterious doctor Frankenstein figure who try to redefine life and death. While this may not be such an impressively original concept, the film still works as a whole out of two solid reasons: up to the task acting and some thought-inducing (if not, once more, thoroughly innovative) ideas.

Given that the basics are there, 'Subject Two' is what I'd call a film with limited potential. I do not believe this theme can be exploited any better than it has been in the past and it'd have to show off something utterly brilliant to sweep me off my feet. A very gentle 6,5 from me.

Full disclosure: Re-Animator is one of my all-time favorite movies. So, Subject Two, about a "doctor" who lives secluded in the mountains of Colorado, and experiments with death and reanimation, with a willing subject to be killed and brought back to life for as many times as he pleases... That's gotta be good, right? Well, not particularly.

Save for possibly "the original" Dr. Vick, I found the acting in this to be pretty sub-par. And even he could've played it up more, he IS a demented, mad doctor, after all. (Oh, a mad doctor does show up... for one embarrassing performance). The "subject" is all too chill, and when things get dramatic, sappy, and/or philosophical, well let's say these 3 subjects are not this actor's strong suit. Does not help the musings on life and death are written poorly.

Subject has side effects, ceases to feel, ponders life outside of the cabin. Toward the beginning of the movie, subject catches a ride with a pretty girl... and asks for her number. They ride that horse for a while, as his sole motivation to get back out into the world. Then he loses the number. Oh well, that's it for him, I guess. They show him aimlessly wandering down the mountain under the closing credits.

Man, I really like a good premise. And they left this movie open-ended on a few fronts. A little ambiguity can be good, too. This could've easily spun off into a sequel, and the twist gives bearing for a prequel. (Of which I'm sure we'll never see).